Portable object, in particular a watch, including multiple selectable electronic modules

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a portable object, in particular a wristwatch ( 1 ), including a case ( 2 ) with which are associated at least two different electronic modules, each module allowing access to a particular service, the portable object also including means ( 22 ) for selecting and activating one of said electronic modules as a function of the service desired by the user.

This is application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 09/192,602, filed Nov. 17, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,906, theentire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, whichclaims priority from Swiss Application No. 2744/97, filed Nov. 27, 1997,the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a portable object, in particular atimepiece, including a case with which is associated an electronicmodule intended to allow contactless and wireless communication betweenthe portable object and an external terminal provided for this purpose.

The present invention is intended for a multitude of situations orplaces where for example it is checked whether or not a person has aright of access, the latter being either upon payment or free of charge.

The invention is particularly intended for systems for controllingaccess to industrial sites (research and development laboratories,production units, etc.) and to public buildings (stadiums, museums,cinemas or suchlike) in which the portable object is presented by theholder thereof to a control device which only authorises access to thesite or to the building if the data stored in the object worn by theperson corresponds to an access authorisation, the payment of asufficient sum or even a suitable expiry date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Access control systems, which use cards provided with a magnetic cardable to be inserted into the slot of an access control terminal insidewhich the data carried by the magnetic strip are read, are known. Whenthis data is recognised, access authorisation is issued and new data canbe written on the magnetic strip.

Magnetic strip access control systems are, however, sometimes difficultto use, in particular because of the narrowness of the slot into whichthe card has to be inserted for accurate reading of its content. Thus,when a magnetic card access control system is used on certain equipmentsuch as, for example, skilifts in winter sports resorts, handling of themagnetic card by users whose hands are not free proves particularly slowand awkward. Moreover, the repeated insertion of the card into the slotof the terminal causes wear of the magnetic strip on which the usefuldata is stored.

In order to overcome this drawback, there has been proposed an automaticcontrol and identification system for objects in which a portable objectencloses, in a case, an electronic module including in particular amemory for storing useful data such as an identification code, atransceiver device for radio transmitted signals, and an antennaelectrically connected to the transceiver device. In this object controlsystem, when coupled to an external terminal provided for this purpose,the transceiver device, is capable of transmitting radio signalscorresponding to the reading of the data stored in the memory circuitand, if necessary, receiving radio signals for writing new useful datainto such memory circuit. Thus, when the external circuit transmits aninterrogation signal, the detection of this signal by the portableobject causes the transmission, for example of an identification codefor this object, which then allows the terminal to identify this objectand consequently to check the identity of the wearer thereof.

The above automatic object identification system has numerousadvantages.

Access control, whether upon payment or free of charge, is made easierand quicker. The necessary identification or other data are written intoand read from a memory in a contactless and wireless manner. Thus, forexample, the mechanical insertion of a card into the slot of a readingdevice, often made difficult by circumstances, is omitted. Moreover,this system is entirely passive, i.e. it does not require any powersource of its own. The power necessary for the operation thereof isprovided by the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the objectidentification terminal.

At the present time, however, the different manufacturers in the marketpropose contactless object control systems which differ from each other,in particular as regards the structure of the electronic modules used inthe objects to be checked, which makes these systems totallyincompatible with each other. The user thus finds himself obliged topurchase, for each required service, for example for the skilifts ofseveral ski resorts, as well as opening the door of a hotel room and forpayments at the bar thereof, the object which corresponds thereto. Itwill easily be understood that such a situation is not very convenientfor the user. It multiplies the number of portable objects, increasesthe risk of theft, loss or forgetting such objects, and involves aconsiderable increase in cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to overcome the problems anddrawbacks described hereinbefore by proposing a portable object, inparticular a wristwatch, which allows a plurality of different servicesto be selected personally and simultaneously.

The invention therefore concerns a portable object for contactlessaccess control systems, including a case with which at least one antennais associated, characterised in that the case includes at least twodifferent electronic modules, each electronic module allowing access toa particular service, the portable object also including means forselecting and activating one of said electronic modules as a function ofthe service desired by the user.

As a result of the features of the present invention, the user can haveaccess, simultaneously and with great ease, to a plurality of differentservices, for example access to the skilifts of several winter sportsresorts, opening the door of a hotel room, payment of a cinema ticketand others, using a single portable object. The risks of loss, theft orforgetting the object are minimised, and the costs reduced.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the selection andactivation means control the movement of an electric contact member toconnect the electronic module which corresponds to the service requiredby the user.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear moreclearly upon reading the following description of an embodiment of theinvention, given purely by way of non-limiting illustration, thisdescription being made in conjunction with the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wristwatch according to the inventionincluding means for selecting and activating the electronic modules;

FIG. 2 is an electric diagram of the connection of the electronicmodules corresponding to the different desired services in which theelectric contact member which allows connection or disconnection of themodules is shown; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the different units forming anelectronic unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It will be noted that the present invention is not limited to particularfrequency ranges for the antennae integrated in the case, and it is alsonot limited to specific services. Moreover, although the followingdescription concerns timepieces, in particular a wristwatch, the presentinvention is not limited to such timepieces, and can easily apply to anyother portable object in which are arranged at least two electronicmodules allowing reception and transmission of radio signalscorresponding to the reading of data stored in a memory circuit, and ifnecessary, the writing of new useful data into this memory circuit.

Reference will first be made to FIG. 1, which shows a timepieceaccording to the invention, designated as a whole by the generalnumerical reference 1.

Timepiece 1 includes in a conventional manner a case 2 made for exampleof a plastic material in accordance with a well known injection mouldingtechnique.

Timepiece 1 further includes a clockwork movement (not shown) housedwithin case 2 and coupled to indicators 4, 6 and 8 forming respectivelyan hour hand, a minute hand and a second hand.

Timepiece 1 is sealed by means of a crystal 10 and a bezel 12. Thislatter is fixedly mounted on case 2, for example by gluing or byultrasound welding.

Case 2 includes a middle part 14 which carries in particular a windingcrown 16, for example for winding the clockwork movement of timepiece 1or for adjusting the display of indicators 4, 6 and 8.

Strands 18 and 20 of a wristlet (not shown) are fixed onto middle part14 of case 2.

According to the invention, in addition to winding crown 16, middle part14 of case 2 also carries means 22 for selecting and activating thedesired service.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, these selection and activation means 22take the form of a switch 24, able to be actuated manually, and slidingin a guide groove 25 arranged in middle part 14 of case 2, oppositewinding crown 16.

Switch 24 can be moved for example between three different positionsdesignated by the alphabetical references A, B and C in FIG. 1. Each ofthese three positions A, B and C corresponds to the selection andactivation of a particular service, for example access to the skiliftsin a winter sports resort, unlocking a hotel room door or even paymentof a cinema ticket. In order to simplify the user's task, and to allowhim rapidly to select the service he desires, a code or indication can,for example, be marked on crystal 10, allowing the service whichcorresponds to the position of switch 24 which he has selected to bevisually identified.

It is of course understood that the present invention is not limited toa given number of services, nor to a determined type of service (skiing,hotel, cinema, bank transactions or suchlike). Moreover, one can imaginegiving selection and activation means 22 a different form to that ofswitch 24. It may be in particular a crown having a push buttonfunction. Likewise, one can envisage displaying the code or indicationallowing the selected service to be identified by means of anelectro-optical display cell.

The movement of switch 24 from one of its selection/activation positionsA, B or C to the following or previous position causes the movement ofan electric contact member 26 (FIG. 2) which causes the connection ofwhichever of the three electronic modules 28, 30 or 32 which correspondsto the service selected by means of said switch 24.

More precisely, the three electronic modules 28, 30 and 32 are housed incase 2 of timepiece 1. As will have been understood, each module 28, 30or 32 corresponds to a particular service and is inserted in anindependent electric circuit, respectively 34, 36 and 38. As is clearfrom FIG. 2, these electric circuits 34, 36 and 38 are normally in theopen state. Only the movement of switch 24 from one of positions A, B orC to the following or previous position can cause the movement ofelectric contact member 26 which then electrically closes the circuit34, 36 or 38 in which the electronic module, respectively 28, 30 or 32,corresponding to the selected service is inserted. When circuit 34, 36or 38 is electrically closed by contact member 26, the power necessaryfor the operation of the corresponding electronic module 28, 30 or 32 isprovided by the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the externalcontrol terminal provided for the identification of timepiece 1.

Electronic module 28 is electrically connected to a first antenna 40whose resonance frequency can be set at 125 kHz. This frequency isparticularly well suited to services which require neither a high degreeof security between the portable object and the external controlterminal (skilifts for example), nor significant flux of data exchange.Advantageously, the portable object can be quite far away from theexternal control terminal during the transaction, typically at adistance of the order of 20 to 50 cm.

Again purely by way of illustrative example, electronic modules 30 and32 are electrically connected in parallel to a second antenna 42 whoseresonance frequency can be fixed at 13.56 MHz. This frequency is wellsuited to services requiring significant transaction security (inparticular bank transactions) and involving significant data exchanges.

Thus, the present invention can be conceived of as a portable object forcontactless access control systems that enables the user to accessdifferent access control services, wherein the portable object includesa case having at least one antenna thereon, and encloses a firstelectronic module that allows access to a first control service upontransmission of a first access authorization code identifying theportable object. The case houses a second electronic module that allowsaccess to a second access control service upon transmission, via the atleast one antenna, of a second access authorization code that isdifferent from the first authorization code but also identifies theportable object. The portable object also including means carried by thecase for selecting and activating one of the electronic modules as afunction of the access control service desired by the user.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited toparticular frequencies, and that one can provide as many antennae asthere are electronic modules in the case of the portable object. On theother hand, electronic modules 28, 30 and 32 and their antennae 40, 42can, for example, be housed in bezel 12 of case 2 as shown in KochPatent No. 5,798,984.

By way of example, electronic module 28 which is electrically connectedto antenna 40 whose resonance frequency is fixed at 125 kHz can beformed by an integrated circuit marketed by the company EMMicroelectronic SA in Marin, Switzerland, under the reference V4050. Itwill be understood however that, according to the invention, all theelectronic modules originating from the different manufacturers on themarket at the present time can be associated with case 2 of timepiece 1.

With reference to FIG. 3 the different operating units which form suchan integrated circuit will now be examined.

Antenna 40 is electrically connected to an AC/DC converter CONV whichtransforms the alternating electromagnetic wave picked up by antenna 40into an internal DC supply voltage for the integrated circuit.

A power control device POW assures that the level of internal DC voltageprovided by converter CONV is sufficient to allow proper operation ofthe integrated circuit.

The signal picked up by antenna 40 is also demodulated and decoded by adata extraction chain DATA and a clock signal chain CLOCK to provide thelogic levels and the internal frequency to a logic control circuit CTRL.

Logic control circuit CTRL controls the operation of the integratedcircuit. It gives the system a high level of operating security as aresult, in particular, of a 32 bit password and a read protected zonefor the organization of security. Each logic control circuit CTRL isunique and differs from the others by an identification number and aserial number programmed by laser into a ROM type memory.

Control circuit CTRL also contains an algorithm which allows thetransactions to be coded and thus the security of the system to beincreased as regards any attempt at fraudulent use. It also assuresprotection by preventing unauthorized reading and writing over thestored data. Finally, control circuit CTRL allows a selection to be madebetween different operating modes of the integrated circuit in which itis implanted.

For the storing of useful data, each integrated circuit is provided witha 1 kbit EEPROM type memory MEM.

Finally, the electronic circuit re-transmits the data to the externalcontrol terminal in the form of bit signals via an encoding device ENCand a modulator MOD.

It goes without saying that in addition to the means described, varioussimple alternatives and modifications fall within the scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable object for contactless access controlsystems enabling a user to access different access control services,said portable object including a case, having at least one antennathereon, and enclosing a first electronic module allowing access to afirst control service upon transmission of a first access authorizationcode identifying the portable object, the case housing a secondelectronic module allowing access to a second access control serviceupon transmission, via said at least one antenna, of a second accessauthorization code, different from said first authorization code andalso identifying the portable object, the portable object also includingmeans carried by said case for selecting and activating one of saidelectronic modules as a function of the access control service desiredby the user.
 2. A portable object according to claim 1, wherein theselection and activation means control the movement of an electriccontact member for the connection of the electronic module whichcorresponds to the service sought by the user.
 3. A portable objectaccording to claim 2, wherein each electronic module is disposed in arespective independent electric circuit that is normally in the openstate, the electric contact member closing the electric circuit in whichthe electronic module allowing access to the service selected by theuser is disposed.
 4. A portable object according to claim 1, wherein theselection and activation means (take the form of) comprise a manuallyactuated switch slidable in a guide-groove in said case.
 5. A portableobject according to claim 1, wherein the resonance frequency of said atleast one antenna is set at 125 kHz.
 6. A portable object according toclaim 1, wherein the resonance frequency of said at least one antenna isset at 13.56 MHz.
 7. A portable object according to claim 5 wherein theelectronic module electrically connected to the at least one antennawhose resonance frequency is set at 125 kHz comprises an integratedcircuit.
 8. A portable object according to claim 1 wherein eachelectronic module receives a radio signal.